Poor service everytime I've been here. The ambience and food presentation is upscale but the food just dosent taste super fresh or hot. Food is Meh.

From Bonefish Grill to YaYa's to Newport Grill to Lakeside Club, Bryce Kuhn has an immense amount of experience in restaurant management. He has an excellent grasp of the "front of the house" - design, presentation, and atmosphere, and it's no surprise that his first attempt at a restaurant of his own maintains that upscale atmosphere you'd expect from his pedigree. Problem is, I go out to eat primarily for the food; what's considered "back of the house". The best restaurant have harmony between the front and back of the house; good restaurants have good food in a crappy setting. A restaurant driven by the front of the house doesn't interest me. It's a superficial experience, more concerned with appearances than my reason for dining. Twelve is the latter of the three. Want an example? Look no further than the Twelve burger. Less than a half pound of beef that was overworked to be tough, shaped too thin and wide in an effort to fit its large brioche bun, its size prohibited it from getting cooked to my requested medium rare. The grill marks were nice and the thick cheddar cheese was melted well, despite the otherwise lack of seasoning. Not a great patty, but that's not where my problems lie. No, it's in the accouterments - the food service-grade mayo, mustard, unripe tomato (in the middle of summer!), pickle chips, and diced onions. Aside from maybe the brioche bun, what makes this burger any different than what I can get at the dozens of run-down burger places around this city? Why is this $10? You couldn't caramelize the onions? sourced better pickles and tomatoes? Not dumped a pile of shredded lettuce on my bun's crown like it was taco night in suburbia? The ketchup for my fries was served on the side, in a nice little dish, on top of a napkin-lined saucer. Doesn't change the fact that it's Heinz, dude. Or maybe House Recipe Brand Fancy Tomato Ketchup. The thin cut fries weren't too bad, and seasoned well. The whole purpose of the shoestring fry is to emphasize the crispy exterior, which these did not effectively communicate, but still plenty munchable. Because I no longer am under the impression that potatoes serve as a suitable vegetable for a well-rounded meal, I was compelled to order a side of grilled asparagus and the vegetable of the day, grilled squash and zucchini. The giant stalks of asparagus were cooked well, to their credit, though the squash mixture was pretty heavily covered in oil, remaining greasy despite their good sear from the grill. It's telling that the names on the outside of the door are that of the owner and the general manager. Judging by the ridiculously packed house on the Saturday night I first tried to visit, people seem to appreciate another fine dining option exclusive to the west side of the city. Personally, I get stuck on the more obvious warnings - the choice to have your steak topped a la "Oscar" with crab and hollandaise; one-fourth of the beer taps devoted to Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy; chicken tenders as a choice for an adult main course; a "golden trio" appetizer of fried mushrooms, zucchini, and mozzarella - and see that underneath all the gloss, the food is decidedly ordinary.

Fantastic! been here four times now and yet to be disappointed. Menu has prices of mediocre corporate restaurants with a taste much closer to high ticket fine dining.